Sound of mobility: Motor vehicles have been enabling individual mobility for 135 years and the car radio has been providing the accompanying sound for around 100 years. For many decades, all you did was switch it on, select the frequency and listen to your favourite radio station through the loudspeaker. The radio provides information and entertainment on the way to work or throughout the journey to the holiday destination. Contemporary media technology for networked vehicles even offers options that go far beyond entertainment, news and traffic notifications.
Mobile radio: The first car radios appeared in the early 1920s – initially in the US – as customised, unique items made by technology aficionados on the basis of contemporary radio valve technology. To begin with, this development was marvelled at in Europe. For instance, an article dated 13 August 1922 in the Berliner Illustrierte Zeitung newspaper reporting about the “wireless as a pastime – the most recent fashion in America”. The story featured illustrations of a radio installation including an aerial system spanning the windscreen. The passion for mobile radio reception quickly grew: German specialist magazine Funkschau wrote on 1 June 1931: “Without a doubt: cars and radios are a perfect match. The speed at which vehicles enable changing location is supplemented by the radioʼs spatial liberty.”
In-car radio for Europe: For instance, United American Bosch, a subsidiary of the German company, also contributed to technical advances in the 1920s. As a result, the first mass-produced car radio in Europe was made by Bosch. It was called Autosuper 5 (AS5) and was showcased at the 1932 Berlin Radio Show by Bosch subsidiary Ideal-Werke (which introduced the Blaupunkt brand name that very year). The device weighed 15 kilograms and cost the stately sum of 465 marks. However, such a price tag was hardly an issue for wealthy customers, given that car radios represented highly exclusive optional equipment in mostly luxury cars.
Integration: At the time, it was common to merely attach the compact control unit directly to the instrument panel whereas the bulky receiver component and the amplifier were installed at a different location, such as in the boot. By comparison, the AS5 was already comparably compact, making it possible to install the technology below the instrument panel. Only a few years later, the car radio was to be seamlessly integrated into the vehicle and its operating concept. For instance, using a round radio station dial directly next to the instruments within the driverʼs field of vision, just like Mercedes-Benz did, e.g. in the model 770 “Grand Mercedes”.
Compact and ex works: After the Second World War, car radios became significantly more compact and it was possible to completely integrate them into the instrument panel. For instance, in the Mercedes-Benz 170 S (W 136), radios, such as the Becker AS 49, introduced in 1949, were available as optional equipment for this model series from 28 February 1950. A closely related Becker Solitude car radio with a round dial is the exhibit from the “33 Extras” series at the Mercedes-Benz Museum.
Convenience and information: The Miracle on the Rhine in the 1950s also marked a new prime of the car radio. Radio broadcasts encoded by frequency modulation (FM) offered better signal quality. Further innovations in the 1950s included radio station buttons and station scan functions. Transistor technology, cassette tape slot and stereo sound followed in the 1960s. The 1970s saw the introduction of Autofahrer-Rundfunk-Informationssystem (ARI; “automotive driversʼ broadcasting information”), a system that automatically identified traffic reports broadcast as part of the programme and slightly increased the volume.
Digitisation: Ever since, in-vehicle radio units have been enhanced by an entire system of digital media and information technology. Crucial steps include the integration of a CD player in the 1980s and the combination with satellite navigation in the 1990s. The introduction of the COMAND display and operating system represents a milestone of system networking in Mercedes-Benz vehicles. It celebrated its world premiere in 1998 in the 220 model series S-Class. Nowadays, the car radio in a Mercedes-Benz forms part of the adaptive and customisable MBUX (Mercedes-Benz User Experience) infotainment system.
High fidelity: Be it digital radio reception, streaming via smartphones or MP3s from a USB pen drive: anyone enjoying music with top-notch sound in vehicles today is benefiting from the car radioʼs manifold technological history. Some ideas, such as mobile record players, never took off. Other inventions became popular, for instance CD changers in the glove compartment – however, they were soon superseded by digital media technology developments.
Audible attitude to life: Nothing has changed in terms of the fascination of having an individual soundtrack with top-notch sound to accompany you on your trip. Be it informative programmes or music, we all create our very own audible ambience within the clearly delimited space that is the vehicle. Some value spoken word content while others most of all prefer their favourite music to sing along to at the top of their voice. And it is said that some of us have missed a few junctions on the motorway because their podcast was just too exciting. In any case, entertainment is not just a backdrop of sound, it appeals to all senses.4
